Completion and Post Machu Picchu Trek                                          11^th April 2019

From my previous blog on completing the Machu Picchu trek (Day 4) and alighting from the tourist bus system we all met up again at the nominated restaurant in Aguas Calientes, a city at the bottom of the valley to do the formal completion with our trek guides. There is a political push to re-name this city to ‘Machu Picchu City’. Ronny, our main guide, handed out our individual ‘trek congratulations’ certificates, train and bus tickets to all and after a late lunch and with plenty of conversations covered it came time to depart our separate ways. We all took our time to go to the first floor to retrieve our backpacks to further extend our conversations and make it a longer good bye.

With the celebratory good byes completed, Scott & I departed to walk the main street for another café or restaurant to relax before the train trip some hours away. When David and Sue (England) left earlier (Train at 2pm); we all agreed to meet up again at Paddy’s Irish Pub in Cusco the following night at 7pm. Everyone seemed certain to comply and voiced our excitement on that.

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The main street of Aguas Calientes has a mixture of a main road that branches off to the East but primarily there is the train line that penetrates the city in full, completely dissecting it. The main street is called Av Imperio de los Incas. You step out of the shops and to the street footpath leading directly onto the tracks at the same level. Children play on these tracks and it is open slather to walk across to the other side. Surprisingly, the trains run quite often too and everyone takes it in their stride. The main street is certainly a buzz with buskers, shoppers and sightseers and waiters convincing you to enter their coffee shops and restaurants.

Scott and I found a really nice restaurant slightly further up the tracks; Mapacho Craft Beer & Peruvian Cuisine 614 Av Imperio de los Incas. It was very welcoming and at the rear through large glass panes you have a direct view of the raging Urubamba River behind. Wild rafting would be a real test here. The volume and power of the river is truly amazing and only about 5 metres below us running parallel to the main street. Scott & I powered down a coffee each (first one in 4 days and it was superb), talked a lot about everything that came to mind and then hit the pure juices again before asking the waiter the location of the train station. So glad we did. It was another challenge and maze involving the large city markets and crossing the tracks and rising to the street level above to the East. It took us a few attempts to find it and pleased we allowed sufficient time.

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Finally, we found the train station through a security gate and a very rare vacant bench seat in its park full of flowers and grass which is a real change to a normal train station we are accustomed to. The railway office had a frequent and repetitive broadcast in several languages which was annoying; after about an hour or so I could rip off a speaker. Bryce and Eliza (Melbourne/ Australia) arrive not long before our train is called however, they are unfortunately in the next carriage behind us. The railway station operates much like an airport terminal and reasonably effective and efficient. Mind you, getting to your carriage seat was a challenge though, and the people on the carriage show they are not very friendly. Of course, we don’t speak Spanish either which partly explains it, I guess. Our seats face the way we are going but there is an elderly couple facing us who take a lot of the leg room and don’t even acknowledge us despite saying ‘Hola’ and smiling. The train trip is about 2hours long so a bit of phone music with ear pieces is required and a cat nap of course to give us sanity and avoid the non-smiling staring. Scott is using his headphones and with eyes closed too. 

Only a few minutes had passed when I couldn’t concentrate on the music. My eyes remained closed but my mind was on recall by reliving the trek over the 4 days and 3 nights, including the unbelievable Rainbow Mountain trek a week prior.

We all face extra-over challenges in life; both mental and physical and with very few, or if you’re lucky several support mechanisms to get you through them. For me, I have had plenty in my years; like having 2 children on their death beds aged 1 (Matt) & 3yrs (Scott) at the same time with different issues, my wife having open heart surgery and one child with super glue to both eyes, again at the same time but at different hospitals whilst also moving house the day after, shock divorce, being within 20metres of 4 separate lightning strikes over the years (don’t need a fifth one), being involved in about 4-5 miscarriages before high potency fertility drugs (pre-IVF) provided 4 beautiful babies (sadly losing a twin pre-birth – Scott’s twin), just to name a few. The Machu Picchu & Rainbow Mountain trek was also up onto this list (physically & mentally). It ticked a lot of boxes and took me to my physical and mental depths; or so I believed at the time.

Scott was my wing man throughout the treks, not recognising my age at all but reinforcing the messages from a book he was currently reading called “Can’t Hurt Me” by a highly decorated Navy SEAL, David Goggins. Mr Goggins life message was that almost everyone applies the ‘40% Rule’ to themselves in whatever they do in life. The remaining 60% never surfaces and in taking the governor off your mind people can achieve so much more. I wished I had read this book prior to the treks even though Scott provided great commentary on it. It is a book I strongly recommend everyone to read; for his achievements and obstacles in front of him are so far off the charts and superhuman; and he gives you methods to apply to yourself to achieve more than 40%.

High Altitude reacts differently to everyone and I found leg muscle strength very limited along with my breathing, thus ‘causing’ me to frequently stop and seek the 1- 2 minutes respite before heading off for another 20 or so metres on the inclines. I think my oxygen intake was limited and maybe to do with my red blood cell count which ultimately limits my body strength (may need to get some research done on this). In reading the book now, my mind was a huge stumbling block, not so much my body. I routinely went into my comfort zone, taking in the precautions of not having to be medically evacuated for an issue (massive undertaking), protecting my heart, seeing I tragically lost my youngest brother at 54 just 2 years prior out of the blue with a rare cardiac arrest even though my doctor relayed my very healthy condition and to not matching my age. With this review of the book I will now be applying my life to the ABOVE 40% Rule. In those quiet and serene times walking the trek totally on my own, my mind was talking to me; I later found that “The most important conversations you’ll ever have are the ones you’ll have with yourself”.

In replaying all the above paragraphs; the time went so fast, as the train pulled into another siding. There are a few stoppages along the way due to being a one- track system.  The timing is rather precise so it equates to just a few minutes each time. Nothing like an efficient train service. The train finally reaches Ollantaytambo at around 8pm and it’s a free for all in getting out to find another guide with our names for the connecting bus. It feels like ages till Bryce & Eliza climb aboard and an impromptu singalong by two young village girls looking for money. They are quite unnerved and very well-rehearsed in their singing operation and they depart when more people climb aboard and now, finally we are on our way.

What a bus ride! Us Australians being first aboard are in command of the entire front seats and we all get a full view of the road ahead. Not good planning on our part. The driver certainly needed a kick to some parts of his body. He was so aggressive and very reluctant to lower his high beam lights down when cars, trucks and buses approached. Hence, they would hit their lights which blinded us each time. For 2.5 hours we copped this and so relieved when we could depart the bus in Cusco, albeit, we were quite some blocks away from our hotel. Eliza and Bryce went looking for a coffee/ pastry place while Scott and I for our hotel, a hot shower and a great bed!

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We walked to our hotel and not once did we stop to catch our breath although there was an enormous celebration in the main square. It was Peru’s Independence Day but we had another priority. We seemed to be quite fit now without the need for stopping .. maybe the hot shower and bed was the ‘chocolate prize’ we were seeking, more than celebrating? We were greeted warmly by Reception at our hotel, Casa De Mayte. Reception had already placed our large backpacks into another room on Level 3 again awaiting our return. Such a great service and well appreciated in avoiding lugging the heavy bags up 3 flights. Unfortunately, the room was a lot smaller and a different layout but we didn’t mind. What we did mind was the just lukewarm shower. Not happy Jan!!!! It was still lukewarm (too cold) in the morning so they heard about it (by nightfall we finally had a hot shower).

The next day was recovery day … just chilled out walking the street, enjoying the street and the square celebrations of Independence Day. Everyone was out and about. There was an ongoing group dance competition, all with fancy and authentic dress and of course very loud music. Moving on, Scott & I found this authentic and quirky gift shop called ‘Ceremonias Ayahuasca San Pedro’ inside an arcade off Calle Triunfo street near N® 368 of other shops and up from Paddy’s Irish Pub (on the corner). The exact address stated is where Scott met an authentic flute maker previously and was able to buy one of his much sought-after bamboo flutes, handcrafted to a perfect pitch. Scott has several flutes and guitars. You can also book tours there (we booked Sacred Valley Tour & bus to Ollayantambo) and exchange currency. The quirky shop is just up from there in an arcade and has so many things to see and probably the only shop to do so in Cusco. The shop manager was extremely helpful and spoke good English which was a real bonus. We found quite a few items for my grandchildren plus Scott found his items and was very happy with his shopping. I indulged into some special wrist bands, an indigenous lady in an outside village produces, and these will serve as a strong daily reminder of finding and completing Machu Picchu. With everything we bought he gave us a discount as well so that was an added bonus. Fabulous service.s

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We returned to the local market shop in the same arcade where Scott bought his first alpaca jumper. In the end I bought a jumper and 2 beanies and Scott had to bring back a jumper for his friend George back home. The indigenous woman manager was thrilled we bought more than one item. As we ventured back onto the street, I noticed Ronny (our Trek Guide) on the other side of the street. We caught up and he was so happy to see us again. We advised him of the 7pm catchup at Paddy’s Irish Pub later tonight. He said he should be able to make it. He will also enquire through his office about my GoPro that was ‘lost’ too.

Another visit to Starbucks for coffee. Starbucks outside of Australia are so much better than Australian Starbucks for their coffee and service. Starbucks is on Level 1 near Paddy’s Irish Pub and after securing a much valued table we can view the celebrations on the main square. Such a shame there are no balconies for the greatest of views to the main historical square. After some hours of reliving the past week we seek out our other favourite eating place; Jack’s café near the famous Inca wall in a narrow laneway at a ‘T’ intersection up from the same street as the pub and arcade. They serve great vegetarian meals and juices. Shame they only deal in cash though. Obviously, they are well known through the Tripadvisor website based upon its popularity.

We manage to get back to our hotel to drop off our purchased goods and leave straight away for the Trek Group reunion at 7pm. We don’t have far to walk and we have been to Paddy’s Irish Pub before the trek. This Irish Pub is the highest authentic Irish Pub in the world at 11,156ft, 3,400m elevation. Surprisingly, when you drink there all is good with high altitude. Just kidding!! It is a great place to be; but bring your cash as no credit cards are welcomed.

Walking up the stairs you could hear the pub is busier than normal. Everyone had arrived early. Astrid (Norway) was the only one who couldn’t make it as she had a flight to get to, so it was a good turn up to have the remaining 10 attend. Everyone was buzzing with huge smiles. So much to recap on and to talk about more personal things of each other’s homeland, etc. Mingling was difficult due to the cramped area of the pub (only 2 medium sized rooms) however; we all didn’t mind and Sue was wonderful company. Not long after, Ronny arrives; and we all reach another level of excitement. Not much time for drinking and talking and before long we all had to leave; for most of us leave tomorrow or have another tour to do. Several were doing the Sacred Valley Tour Scott & I did before the trek. Can’t believe where the time went and unfortunately you meet such great people and can’t again catchup freely for a coffee or drink at another time due to the geographical challenges. We trust social media will contact us. Such life memories of wonderful people.

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Scott and I were the last to leave and arrived back at the hotel to repack our bags for international travel and to organise a taxi to the airport at 5am for a 7.30am flight to Guayaquil Ecuador via Lima airport. It was a difficult night to get proper sleep with all that had transpired in the last few hours and the upcoming flight to a totally new destination.

My upcoming blogs will be based on Guayaquil and Ecuador’s capital city, Quito and 2 volcanoes. Stay tuned.

Thank you for reading my blogs 😊 Very much appreciated.

Machu Picchu Found – Day 4                                                                 11^th April 2019

Over my last few blogs on Machu Picchu have you been saying out loud “Machu Picchu” the way it sounds? LOL!!! I bet you have!! I have purposely waited now till this Day 4 to advise the correct and absolute truth to how you say Machu Picchu in the official language.

If you have been sounding it the way it is spelt, then you need to read the following sentences. The true pronunciation is “Machu Piktchu”. The word meaning of Machu is “old or ancient”. Picchu (Piktchu) means “mountain”. Therefore “Old Mountain” which is the true acknowledgement. If you say “Picchu” as it sounds then the sound meaning is “penis” … yes … penis. LOL!!!! So, whenever I hear people call it as it sounds then I recall “Old Penis”. So funny!!! Will you be now correcting people? Best of luck!!!

The Huge Day 4

3 full days of trekking, 3 nights of little sleep and now OMG!!!! A 3.30am wakeup call!! As it is still nightfall we still receive our “buenos dias” .. “Good Morning” greeting from the porters plus our hot cup of tea. However, a strong brew of coffee may help more with our sleep deprived eyes. Toilets remain a huge challenge and to be back in time too. The same routine is required but with more urgency as there is a race now to the Control Point to beat everyone else. Today will be our shortest trek of 7klms but very clearly will be our longest day!

The chef has provided us all with a paper bag breakfast with a juice pack to eat along the way or to when we get to the Control Point some 150mtres away from the tents. Surprise!! .. with our best effort we still find ourselves behind some 50 trekkers or so to the entrance gate, but at least we are not the last ones.

It seems like ages till the line starts moving. Everyone starts chatting and the excitement builds. Ronny takes care of all our passes and it’s a go for the pathway. Some over zealous trekkers do the scramble and take silly risks in overtaking others in the darkness. There’s a few that are quite rude and careless. Ronny warned us of this and to not do this type of trekking. You can get injured and totally miss the final day and Machu Picchu. That would be a complete travesty after slogging 37klms to the Control Point, etc with only 7klms to go.

As the trekking line thins out and the curtain of night darkness is abating to the light; we can see the clouds/ fog-like drifting in and out and the mountains coming out in the background with form. To walk in the pre-dawn and sunrise light is truly a magical experience as we make our way around the side of mountains of such elevation.

The pathway stairs elevate and become steeper and really slows us down but we remain calm with our progress and every now and then the Inca Flats come to light. The inclines still affect my speed and stamina however, much lighter than the previous days. Scott has gone ahead with the younger trekkers and our seasoned Utah trekkers. Obviously; boring with the slower “old man” even though Scott never refers to any limits concerning age. I’m OK with that as everyone must walk in getting the most out of the experience. Our walking in the early daylight makes us shed our clothing layers and to take a quick break. The air and scenery is a picture to behold .. the mountains more magical with the clouds drifting about and we know we are getting closer. Another brief chat with William, our guide, is an added bonus.

Coming around the bend with William by my side we meet up with a clump of trekkers. Great to hear other voices churning out some comments and with varying levels of excitement. Ronny, Sue, David and others catchup at this point. We now get to see what lays ahead; it is a right hand 90®bend. Ronny starts taking our walking poles and has this huge smile. We have arrived at the Monkey Stairs … stairs to an elevation of some 25m at an incline say at 60® and some 2metres wide. This we did not expect and goes to show the Inca Trek provides everything … and we are now using all fours to escalate to the top. Our muscles are doing things now we have not done over the 4 previous days. Despite its awkwardness we are all smiling doing this novelty and it is was an enjoyable experience being a monkey for a little while. I thank my friend David for the photo of these stairs. Now with our walking poles back in hand we venture off for just a little longer until we are greeted by the rest of the group with cheering and congratulations; for now we have entered the grounds of the Sun Gate or it’s Inca name of Intipunku  where its purpose was the guardhouse/ fortress for the entrance to Machu Picchu.

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The excitement of all the trekkers along with the celebratory voices and Scott’s beaming smiling face convinced me we had arrived at this monumental and sacred site; for behold as I walked to the outer walls to a ledge crowded with trekkers my eyes catch the magical landscape of the GREAT Machu Picchu. No photo can ever replace the vision I now keep within my brain files. Clouds like mist come in and out secretly showing off its glory. Machu Picchu stands some 600m in elevation below me and approx. 3klms straight ahead but it comes crystal clear of its magnificence for I have FOUND Machu Picchu in brilliant life with its famous mountains behind!

The sheer size of the stone walls of mass and mazes continue to test my comprehension to the wonders of the Incas. Such construction appears to be super human in every context as it winds and spreads over the mountain slope overlooking the Urubamba River some 450m below in the tight valley.

To be critical, I found the very winding road from Machu Picchu down to the river disappointing to my view and seeing the streams of buses navigating this road. Such a modern infrastructure in a magical scenery. I had to hasten in using my new camera and changing the lenses seeing I had arrived a little later than the others. I later found out I had misjudged the camera settings and my photos were in low quality. Arrrghh!!!!!!

Being now hurried to re-join our group was disturbing. Can’t I just sit a bit longer and take this all in? Even the clouds drifting in more did not deter my enthusiasm in keeping this view. At least 4 of us were given less time than the others so with “kicking and screaming” … not really of course .. I re-joined the group after securing my backpack and grasping my walking poles and stepped through the stone gateway to the lower and more cobblestoned pathway. I was annoyed for awhile as I had only 15 minutes at such an important site as the Sun Gate.

As we walked along a much easier pathway, we were now experiencing people in all sorts of better day casual clothing and strained faces walking towards us for they were seeking the Sun Gate view. Obviously, they were from the tourist buses below, all on a day trip departing from the township of Aguas Calientes. I believe these tourists were missing the real feeling of seeking out Machu Picchu; much like just visiting a theme park. Surely, you must have a disconnection.

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Some 30-40mins of the descending pathway we find ourselves surrounded by trekkers, tourists and numerous guides on terraces now described as viewing points. So many people, all wandering around this amazing site. Time for another group photo to complete our journey before we decant our backpacks for a more relaxed visitation of the site. Ronny offered us all another side trek to do immediately, that will take a few hours to complete and is slightly strenuous. Everyone declined except for our more experienced trekkers from Utah. The remainder were all in a relief phase and looked forward to viewing the site in a more leisurely fashion. The Utah group (Windi, Eric, Lynn & Kirsten) must complete the journey and meet the group in the township of Aguas Calientes for a late lunch and a formal good bye to all; including our guides. The timeframe would be tight.

Once the photos were completed at the viewing platform, we ventured through the path mazes towards the main tourist entrance at Machu Picchu’s lowest point. Here there is a restaurant, Café, Tourist Centre, Toilets and Storage complex … & yes … lots of tourists and cycling of buses. It was hard to find clear space to be as a group and find what is our next action. Eventually we discover the lines. One for the toilet and one to log your backpack into the storage facility. Finally get to the storage counter and then found out we had to be in the toilet line to pay the fee of 5,000 Pesos/ bag. There is also a similar fee for the toilets. Gotchya!!!

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In the following frustration of paying the fee and trying to get back to the group, Scott & I finally got our backpacks into the bulk storage facility. Showing your passport, you get a ticket and they stick the other copy onto your backpack. Several workers carrying backpacks into the backroom. With all this convoluting bedlam I totally forgot and didn’t see my GoPro was still attached to my backpack externally (to make the situation worse I didn’t realise this until I was on the train back to Ollantaytambo after 6.30pm). Standing back from the counter I then noticed a gathering around a bench near the fence next to our group. Here you could self-stamp your passport with an official Machu Picchu attendance stamp. Wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.

Ronny now guides us back along the same pathway back to Machu Picchu. He provides commentary on certain aspects and history which in hindsight would have been wise to record it. The Utah Group has already continued onto their trek to Wayna Picchu Mountain; called the short trail of the Huayna Pichu trek. Thanks to Windi for the photo overlooking Machu Picchu and confirmation of the too many stairs on this trek (an extra 260mtrs higher).

No matter where you look; the platforms of different elevations, the stone walls, the accuracy of set out and the marriage of rocks is outstanding. Not sure of the purposes of most rooms and areas however, you accept they are all monumental to the university of this temple of habitation. The drainage viaducts, the staircases all in rock forms and the list goes on. There is some recorded evidence from previous earthquakes where some rock wall sections vibrated and bounced and then returned to their exact position with no gaps present. Machu Picchu is apparently built on 2 fault lines but I’m not sure where they could be in relation to the site.

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There are a number of special rocks and rock walls in different locations to suit special purposes. We find one on the top platform on its own in the middle area at the Eastern side .. it takes a comment from Ronny to highlight it from obscurity. It is shaped to form a compass point and it points directly North towards the much higher peaks behind. The other formations nearby include windows in the walls where the sun rises and shines onto the temple room’s floor & wall of each morning. Some indentations in the walls resemble the windows and these are where sacred ornaments were placed. This area is roped off to eliminate human interference and it is advised it was a holy area.

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The main sacred stones are underneath an extraordinary large stone forming a cave room or temple area. The first stone fronts the entrance and was carved to the shape of the 3 steps (like the drawing Ronny did on my cheek in Blog – Day 1) symbolising the 3 classes: Snake (Lower class or lower crop fields), then Puma (Middle class or middle crop fields) with the highest one, The Condor (Highest class or highest crop fields). Behind this stair rock is a smooth sloping curved table top rock. Here the Inca King or Religious Leader would undertake sacrifices for the good of the colony. The main or common celebration was held on the Winter Solstice 22^nd June each year. The Incas would pick an Alpaca to sacrifice on the stone but they would only pick the ‘imperfect’ one. Even in their day .. you could remark it was racism back then … for they chose only black alpacas for sacrificing.

If the colony was experiencing bad times through extended years, they would carry out an extra special sacrifice. These types maybe, say, once every 20 or 30 years depending upon the type and length of the travesty. Here the families would offer up their eldest daughters to the Inca King, of at least 13 years of age who would select his preference. The family would be extremely honoured to have their daughter chosen. Competition was strong between families to ensure the colony would flourish soon after.

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Whilst at the centre rear of the site on the upper level, next to the “Compass Rock”, David, Sue, Scott & I take a well-earned respite on a sitting rock at the Western side. Photo courtesy of David again. Behind our backs is a small ledge then a massive drop to the valley below (don’t look down). In order to not look down we note the huge mountains in the near distance and some much higher in the far distance with snow/ ice caps. On the nearest mountain behind us there is a modernised Hydro Electricity system with pipes and pump stations on a major scale running down its slope. Obviously providing electricity to several townships or even Cusco to some extent. There is so much water off the peaks to capture and there still remains lots of water chasing down from these mountains not into the system. In enjoying this respite, we chat about what we have seen today and at the same time looking back up to the Sun Gate and to the elevation we had travelled and over to the alpacas peacefully grazing at locations away from the numerous tourists on the different terrace levels. Such an amazing place.

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Respite is over and we continue to a tight width rock staircase to a higher peak possibly for the Inca Sun worship and some sacred stones placed there. This small peak some 25m in elevation provides a great view to most of Machu Picchu however, you cannot stay there long and then directed down by Govt Guides to another staircase to a separate area to the rear of the site. It will take a while to journey back to this location if you wish to view this area again.

Following on from this other staircase we find ourselves at the full rear of the site to a few buildings where the Peruvian Government has restored the roof structures with tree poles and straw thatched roofs to show the full structure intact. The straw thatched roof coverings have to be replaced every 2-3 years due to the severe annual environment. The tree poles form the rafter system and they are tied by vine ropes to stones penetrating the walls at the wall corners and at varying heights towards the centre of walls.

We wind along narrow pathways and follow the signs that will lead us to the exit. It still remains a bit of a maze of walls and stairs. The sheer size of the entire complex provides a rough indication as to how many Incas resided here and it is such a credit to a civilisation so many centuries ago. Reluctantly, we continue to the pathways leading us back into the tourism complex and along the way you can notice the day tourists have a sense of being at a theme park such with their attitude and their movements. Very depressing in seeing some of this form as it shows a disconnect and a throw away sense of the magnificence somewhat discarded. A bit harsh .. but after enduring 4 long days we have an added attachment and deeper respect I suppose.

Stepping through the small exit gate the crowd is certainly noisier than before and with that, much more crowded. Here, there is a strong sense of a theme park; especially when the line up for the shuttle buses is getting longer by the minute and the restaurant and café are still doing an enormous trade. First, we must recover our backpacks which does take a while. I’d love to see behind the wall as to how they incorporate a system of storing bags .. or is there one? Again, I omit to remember my GoPro.

We form the populated line and it appears there is approx. 40mins turnaround for each shuttle bus, hence there is a large number of buses winding through the road network to the city below and back. The queue becomes slower and then we notice people who have come for the day trip are now buying their return tickets at the booth and that’s where the line goes into the cattle style barriers to the buses. They are jumping ahead of about 100 people unnoticed however upon noticing this a security guard now places a member at the booth to redirect them.

Finally, we are on the bus, albeit, we are saddened to leave Machu Picchu so early with plenty of daylight left as it is 12.30pm. We must be at a nominated restaurant in Aguas Calientes asap to order lunch and to meet the group and the guides for the last time. The bus trip takes approx. 18 minutes and drops us off at the junction of the main street. With no knowledge of the address of the restaurant we were gratefully greeted by Bryce and Eliza who was wondering where we were.

Everyone was there except the Utah group so we started to order food and catchup with today’s conversation. It was quite difficult as were sharing the space with a much larger and much more vocal group. Ronny tried to quiet them down but that failed. They were so inconsiderate. As our food arrived the Utah group arrived with their excited trek details but confirmed it was very tiring but well worth it for the views. Eliza wanted to be a local so she ordered a Guinea Pig meal. It came out whole and that enabled us to swerve in our seats so as not to witness it or even to take a photo. Eliza was not happy with the meal as well. Very tough and not palatable. Totally intact with hair still on the paws, etc. I couldn’t bear to investigate further, along with Scott. We stuck to our Vegetarian Pizzas.

With great happiness we all exchanged our names, emails, etc and then provided our tip amount to our Guides to share 3 ways. It was difficult to express our speeches due to the very noisy group close by.

David and Sue waved goodbye first as they had the luck and good planning of the earlier train back to Ollantaytambo, then bus to Cusco, arriving about 6pm. Our train didn’t leave here until 6pm so we are expecting a 10.45pm arrival in Cusco. The Utah group were staying overnight so there was no hurry from them. We all thanked Ronny, William and Edizon and proceeded separately to find another place to relax and then ultimately, the train station. Sadness is always felt when good byes are in order. No doubt social media will prevail to reconnect and relive this wonderful life experience. We carry great memories with each of us. Unfortunately, videos and photos from my GoPro are lost forever.

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Next blog will be Post Machu Picchu & then onto massive volcanoes

Footnote 1

Machu Picchu was rediscovered by an indigenous farmer, Melchor Arteaga, well before the American historian, Hiram Bingham came across it in 1909 or thereabouts. The farmer had previously advised 2 or 3 other families years before that there was a structure where they could live and survive. It was a tough time then for families to survive and grow crops. The farmer was later approached by accident by Bingham and with a few hands made their way towards this stone complex using machetes as it was firmly into the Amazon Jungle now. Here he was met by one of those farmers residing in a hut nearby who sent his son with Bingham to discover magnificent stone walls overtaken by vines, bamboo & the like. The Spanish invaders NEVER found Machu Pichu and spent years and resources scouring the countryside as they believed no-one could survive living at the high altitudes and concentrated primarily around the Urubamba River regions.

Bingham later returned in 1911 after advising the archaeological world for funding then it was officially proclaimed found on 24^th July 1911. Trains linking to Cusco are called the Hiram Bingham Train and signed as such as he is much loved for making this area and Machu Picchu famous. UNESCO officially proclaimed this special site in 1983 and covers the site area of 32,592 hectares but also encovers an extended buffer zone.

Footnote 2

For 2019, Machu Picchu is set to change forever. There is a push to rename the city, Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu City. Secondly, the Peruvian Government is set to cordon off more sections of Machu Picchu to preserve these areas from the public and maybe further limit the daily numbers of visitors.

The most significant change is the construction now started on the 2^nd regional airport at the nearby township of Chinchero with bulldozers underway clearing the required land. Cusco International Airport will not cope much further into the future with only one runway and limited space so it was decided to place another airport closer to Machu Picchu near Chinchero.

The airport will bring all different types of aircraft (small & large) flying the flight path at varying height levels especially over the very quiet township of Ollantaytambo and the Sacred Valley. With the Andes Mountains the flight path will be restrictive so the now quiet areas of these townships and Machu Picchu will be severely affected plus the predicted high volumes of tourists treating the area as an enormous theme park. The decision of the airport was made over a few years however, the world is now starting to protest. How the airport passes the UNESCO criteria is still a mystery. The airport is expected to be operational sometime in 2023.

Currently, most intercontinental flights require entry to Santiago Chile then onto Lima Peru then onto Cusco however some airlines can now fly from Santiago direct to Cusco.

I’m thankful for undertaking the trek in the situation now found, rather than what is predicted and even more pleased by doing the 4 long days and 3 nights to fully encounter the stamina, beauty and magnificence of the great Machu Picchu. We were so blessed with the weather too and with a wonderful group and great guides/ porters.

Finding Machu Picchu – Day 3 10th April 2019

With our second morning awakening by porters at the early hours we all are weary eyed as true sleep remains difficult however, we are now ‘seasoned’ trekkers and know what is required to keep to schedule and to help out with the timing of breakfast for all concerned. Sleeping bags and mats tightly rolled up and placed on the porter’s mat ready for their packing.

As we are more programmed; we are able to achieve a better packing, cleaning of teeth, stretching exercises and a quick group chat before heading off. We all know we have about 12klms to do today and it appears no-one is feeling too sore so we are confident of doing good times particularly due to more declines generally. This day will be our longest day of trekking. The first 30mins however will be winding back up around the mountain until we can descend again. There is a wonderful opportunity to look back down towards the campsite as the porters are completing their packing up (centre of photo). It won’t be long before they will be passing us again. We all remain puzzled how they can continue to be super human.

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After 2hrs (3klms) or so from Warmiwanuscca’s peak of yesterday and approx. 50mins from our camp site at Pacaymayo today we came across an archaeological site of a derelict house .. a fortress possibly; as an outlook for the Incas; located and called Runkuraqay (3,800mtrs, 12,470ft) on the side of the mountain of the same name. Whilst derelict you can still see the great stone construction still intact however with the roof and softer construction now gone it truly has a derelict view. It was a brief visit as time was pressing and there are more significant sites ahead and more “Inca Flats” to conquer.

At least Runkuraqay was the completion of the insane inclines and now we transverse the normal “Inca Flats” of stoned pathways and sheer edge drops winding around mountain sides. The views are breathtaking with the enormous landscapes, water streams, waterfalls, drifting clouds and clean brisk air flows (still less oxygen though).

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After some 2.5hrs we come across Sayacmarca (3,580mts, 11,472ft); a fortress with a Sun Temple and a residential building area. Here we find a few Alpacas of different colours. Numerous photo opportunities however even though the Alpacas are calm they will not participate in photo selfies with Scott and Astrid. Very frustrating; but they do get close enough. Bryce was another Alpaca stalker .. we often had to wait for his return. Once, we resigned to the Alpacas ignoring us Scott and I noticed certain stone constructions of holes perfectly smooth, curved and carved into specific stones. Such great skilled work. These holes were used to secure the roof beams by a tie down method of rope vines. Some, I believe were used to allow doors to be rope hinged onto them.

Following on from Sayacmarca we venture onto Phuyupatamarca. This archaeological site is a large stoned fortress and well-engineered with viaduct drainage, large bath complexes that to this day still operate in the rainy season where fresh water is controlled, directed and stored for everyday use and crop producing.

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We all pushed forward now to the last leg of the morning with a later lunchtime today and this involves steep declines and more cobblestone pathways making sure every foot step is placed safely. After some hours we find ourselves in a clearing also used as a campsite where we have our last lunch with our porters and some of the crew. Some porters will return to their homes when we reach our campsite for the night. We note, a bulk of the food is now on our table .. so much food to eat. With our stomachs over filled (forced fed) we restart our last leg to our next campsite; but first we must master or “survive” the “Gringo Killer Stairs” which means “white folk killer” and they are exactly that! They form part of the almost 1,000 metre descent with approx. 1000 or so steps of all different dimensions and alignment. Anyone with knee issues will feel their body load plus their backpack and apart from this the whole body gets a real workout including your arms where the walking poles are used differently as they are extended further for steep descents. For me, I felt guilty finding the descents quite easy compared to some of the other trekkers. I offered Sue my walking pole support hand at my wrist (like a handrail) as I kept one step down from her. It was slow but safe and effective. We did this successfully until Ronny offered to assist. No offence, but I think I just got dumped! We all took it in good humour so I quickly added my pace hoping to catchup to Scott & the others which was a far cry from reality. Can’t believe the pace I was achieving.

With the relief of the Gringo Killer stairs behind us we walk a rare section of gentle pathway with our 2^nd guide, William. He has helped us out as he comes from another company to fulfil the guide’s ratio to trekkers. He has an amazing personality and fits right in. Now, here’s the thing … William is now on his 7^th straight trek day. Tomorrow will be his 8^th!! How can anyone do this I asked? He laughs and says “easy”. He advises a close friend of his just completed his 16^th straight trek day and now is relaxing at home. After nearly collapsing of shock I said; “he should be in hospital!”

Not much further along the trail we encounter a cave or 2 on the path where they are short in length but also in height and narrow. You feel your head is about to hit the roof. They are so dark we need torches and/ or your phone torch to see. One cave has a hole step inside where you can fall quite easily. Certainly; a surprising location and a relief to get through safely.

After quite some time of cobblestone pathways we can see High Voltage Electrical Towers in the mountainous landscape so we can feel our Campsite #3 at Winay Wayna (2,650mts, 8,692ft) is coming closer … but we have had this feeling before where it seems so close … yet so far away. Our feet continue the journey and our arms can feel the last few days of using walking poles; but we trudge on.

Coming closer to our camp we could hear yelling and see some people stationery on a bend in the path. One of the women said her husband fell down into the ravine below. Her husband was still yelling and frustrated he was trapped so far down with apparently nowhere to get out. He was starting to go into shock. We arrived some 5 minutes after he fell. Rescuers were already getting scrambled from the next Control Point near our camp site. The man’s camera was completely shattered on the rocks. It would be a million to one on how he missed those huge boulders below and after some 30metres falling he had no broken bones or serious injuries. He was standing and continued to be yelling for assistance. His wife was somewhat surprisingly calm.

In such a safe area of the pathway Scott & I believe he was either taking a selfie or being a little careless and lost his footing. With the area becoming a little more crowded and there was absolutely nothing we could contribute to the rescue we pressed onto the campsite. It appears they used a winch method to get him out as there is no way to search and walk him out below in the jungle. It would be many hours until he could be in camp. Scott saw this man the next day and all appeared good within their group. The humour came out the next day with “all husbands stay away from the edge … wives have checked the insurance”. Can’t believe how incredibly lucky he was.

We had to meet at the High Voltage electric tower as a group before we could walk into our camp site and to the archaeological site of Winay Wayna. We kept seeing these towers in the distance but you couldn’t tell which one it was until the path actually crossed into it. There was also a huge sign to look for but it meant nothing to us; Spanish writing. Not long after meeting at the tower for respite Ronny and the guides arrive and walk us down to the archaeological site which is very large and terraces everywhere. Such a complex structure with avenues everywhere and the stonework amazing.

Winay Wayna overlooks the Urubamba River below and is on a steep side of the mountain and a two levelled site with temple buildings on top and then residential ones below all connected by staircases and 15 water baths fed by 19 water springs via water viaducts. Again, more Alpacas and Bryce goes ‘missing’ for quite some time. Scott and Astrid have several more Alpaca photos of course. They are addictive and cute but I concentrate on the Inca ruins where it all remains incomprehensible.

Winding our way through this stoned complex to the numerous lower terraces we all look back upward and whilst waiting for Bryce to appear at the top of the stairs we acknowledge how could the Incas build such enormous stoned buildings and with such precision. Just can’t seem to fathom it.

Ronny begins to take us to our camp site with another 10 mins of Inca Flats … We pass all the other companies’ tents plus Banos (toilets) and then find our tents at the very back of the site. At least we will have quietness from the other campers. It’s a fair walk to the toilets now and we even have to step over the other camper’s tent ropes. Trip on these and you will fall about 2metres below. Definitely not safe and worse at night time. The toilet blocks are now fitted with showers .. if you dare to use them. NO hot water .. mountain chilled water only!! No thanks .. I’ll skip these. Suffice to say, the other trekkers agree as well and we all accept everyone on all levels, even on aromas. Toilets need another good hose out too .. whew…ee!!! We continue to walk as a group into our camp area and are surprised of the greeting provided by the porters and chef with their loud applause. A sign we have almost made the trek completion.

We begin our routine again for washing hands, getting settled and ready for our last Happy Hour and then dinner and sleep.  We are now tasked with electing our ‘President’ to conduct and hand over our gathered tip money in 3 lots. One for the porters who will distribute evenly later between them and one solely for the Chef. The other tip fund will be for the guides once we get to the township of Aguas Calientes late tomorrow. Through a democratic process Bryce is elected our President and Eric the Vice President for the Chef Tip Fund. All the porters and the Chef were paraded into our dinner tent and each one spoke and introduced themselves. Ronny was the interpreter. We applauded them individually much to their elated smiles. I remember one porter who was 61 and had been doing the trek for almost a decade. Truly amazing. Both Bryce and Eric provided awesome speeches celebrating the great work and success of the porters and chef. They accepted our tips with great humility. Wished we could have given them more but we only carry so much cash and some of us weren’t advised of a tip requirement and were severely cash limited.

I had to pay my porter directly before dinner as agreed for carrying our sleeping bags and mats. I wanted to pay him and thank him directly but Ronny prevented this. I truly hope Ronny did the right thing and paid him as I agreed but unfortunately, I remain sceptical to this day. My porter left for his home before our dinner so I could not check with him.

With dinner now over it was a real quick good night to all as we must be awake at 3.30am to be first at the Control Point for access and then the rush to the Sun Gate at the right time of sunrise. Passports for inspection again at the Control Point. Tomorrow will be our shortest trek (about 7klms) but by far our very longest day!

Same routine to get to sleep but now we must have our torches and head torches at the ready for the early wake up call. Our tent was the last one in the row and against the guide’s tent; lying in my sleeping bag trying to sleep immediately, … I cannot, for the guides are either snoring or listening to loud videos on their phones. I’m too tired to look for my packed ear plugs .. Oh well … Goodnight .. somehow?

Stay tuned for the blog on the Big Day 4 where we all find the magnificent Machu Picchu!!!

Finding Machu Picchu – Day 2                                                                      9^th April 2019

Day 2 – ‘affectionately’ known as “HELL DAY”!!! It certainly didn’t disappoint.

Our sleep after Day 1 was very limited; and it seemed only a few hours long when we could hear the porters waking the trekkers in each 2man tent with the wakeup cup of tea and “buenos dias” .. “Good Morning”. We now knew we had just 10mins to repack, get dressed and be ready for the sit-down breakfast in the big tent. Toilet was first; if you were fast.

With our 30 seconds of stretching and saying hello to our fellow trekkers and our muscles again after yesterday’s 12klms and 4.5hrs of climbing we strolled to the big tent for breakfast ‘almost ready’ for Day 2 (Hell Day). Breakfast was quite filling and surprising. The Chef was a miracle worker. Obviously, we need the strength to keep the momentum going. I personally found later that eating a big breakfast didn’t work particularly well for me. Other trekkers soon agreed as we proceeded towards lunch with heavy stomachs and extra ‘weight’ to climb with.

“Hell Day”, as Ronny said with a cheekish smile was to complete the 16klms now required and to make camp before dark. We need to be careful and take every precaution so we can achieve the result. Take your time but don’t lag too much. At about half way we will reach the highest peak of the trek at Warmiwanuscca 4200mts 13,776ft so we still have a lot of climbing to do; followed by the remainder as downhill towards our next camp. Firstly, we will come across the first Control Point at about 7.30am so make sure you have your passports ready for processing by the officials. Ronny has our tickets ready but these need to be paired with individual passports. A point to note is to make sure you have your passport as there is a fine ($100USD) plus you will be; or could be sent back to reschedule the trek or retrieve this vital document. No exceptions. Your tickets MUST also match your passport exactly. This Control Point also scrutinises the guides and porters for their carrying weights.

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In discussion with Ronny after dinner last night, Dave & Sue decided to head off after breakfast at least 30minutes before the group will due to their concerns of potentially lagging behind. Personally, I never gave that any thought as that would have been a good idea for me too. Leaving camp, we followed the ongoing stairs and path alongside the enormous ravine where the snow and ice glaciers on top of the surrounding mountains provided the rapidly and very cold torrents of water. The force of water was truly amazing.

For the expected 16klms journey on Day 2 it is expected 60% of this will be steep inclines. Again, I struggled on this section. High Altitude seems to be playing on my muscle leg strength with the possibility of low oxygen levels in my blood. There is an article I read where you could adjust this by taking a Chlorophyll supplement usually in liquid form. I tried to buy it in gel lolly form however, could not find this anywhere in Peru for some reason. This supplement enables you to increase your red blood cell levels that would allow more oxygen intake into the blood. I think I need a couple of bottles now.

Some of the incline hardship was waived away at the start as Scott stayed with me plus the continuing sound and vision of rapid water crashing over rocks and in between trees and banks. Once we crossed the little bridge (photo respite) we were left in silence from the rushing water as we steer away to the never-ending rocky pathway of incline; much like to the “stairway to heaven”. The path is constant, the mountainous landscape is massive … much to look at in my now frequent respites … but the need for moving on is a real priority. The sheer sight of the Andes mountains is beyond amazing but our porters have already over taken me and the others, such is their amazing ability to keep their momentum.

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Trekkers from other groups are also struggling .. some of them are overweight and showing stress pain on their red faces and breathing heavy. I’m not sure of where their support people are so after asking if they are OK, I still keep an eye out for them. I showed one woman how to undertake her respites better. She was so grateful and couldn’t believe the difference it made. I have William (Guide) staying close by following behind and offers me a small clump of Coca leaves that assists in high- altitude hiking. You take about 4-5 leaves and chew them into a wad. Yes, they taste exactly like leaves. Once you get over the leaf taste you place the wad to the side of your mouth and keep it moist. Do not swallow and about every 5mins you will need to spit out the buildup. After about minimum 15mins you can remove the wad. As time goes by you get the feeling something is working.

Surprisingly, I have made it to the lunch site and David & Sue were first there welcoming everyone. They did extremely well and everyone thought they would have met up much earlier than lunchtime. Scott gave me a big welcome knowing the inclines were quite rigorous. I retorted by asking him did he at least sweat or get puffed doing the inclines? He replied with that cheeky grin he has. Lunch was very well presented and well-earned and in no time, we were off again. Pressure is now on to make the campsite before late afternoon and definitely before dark. More inclines, more heavy breathing, more heart pounding, more respite stops for the next hour or two; much like the previous hours.

My mind was now streaming to the point of how much further. My commitment was being tested and wondering how far behind I am and when do I meet up with the group again. From that point, William says, “only 5 minutes more to the top”. I was immediately sceptical but William stood firm. He really meant 10mins but he omitted the remainder was even more steep than the last hour. I could now hear voices coming from above .. the sound of nearing the top. I can do this!!

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With the group all keeping together they welcomed the last person arriving … me!!! We are now at Warmiwanuscca (4200mts) our highest peak where the clouds drifted in quickly and started the wettest mist with sleet drops hitting our faces with the new force of wind. Most of us quickly put on our plastic ponchos to keep as much of us and our bags dry. Scott didn’t bother .. liked the coldness and being ‘alive’. Yeh .. sure!!! After 10mins and about to start our descent the clouds disappeared, the sleet stopped, so off came the ponchos for most of us so we could descend safely down the now wet stone ‘staircases’. Yes .. I only got 10minutes respite. Every downhill step should be carefully planted onto the back of the stone to limit the slippage. Most stones on descents are angled back to assist this. Good engineered planning to the ‘stairs’ by the Incas. Ronny advises the group of our commitment ahead and to tackle the pathway safely. He describes the pathway as a lot of “Inca Flats”. We soon know this to include some sharp inclines at times so it is not all downhill from here. This saying brought all kinds of responses from the group, mostly sarcasm humour from me.

We are now generally in descent mode until the campsite some hours away. Scott is already in front and I’m behind trekkers, Eliza and Bryce. Within the first 2 minutes of decline Eliza slips backwards completely before me. It was far too quick for me to react. She was obviously frightened however OK; but expects bruising. So lucky. I made sure to tell her and the others to step onto the back of the stair stones. Eliza used the front of the stones. With Bryce staying back with Eliza I headed off to catch the others. Even though I am stepping safely on the wet rocks I feel like I’m a greyhound in race mode such is the progress I’m making. Declines are definitely my thing and effortless too. Unbeknown to myself and others Sue then takes a tumble to the right of the pathway ahead of Eliza and rolls into the long grass quite some metres away. Apparently, she does it so gracefully and then laughter takes over; along with photos. It was also a topic of discussion at the campsite along with confirmation on Eliza’s large now purple bruising.

The decline stairs are called ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’ where the declines are as intense as the inclines and extreme caution is required to navigate to each level. This section is arduous and tricky and requires high concentration levels. Some of us help others down such is the depth of stairs. Our walking poles were set for inclines at hip height but now in the declines we lengthen them some 150mm to assist the downhill reach required. Thighs and calf muscles are copping a real workout today.

After so many hours (about 9hrs) and 16klms of everything since dawn; we finally can see our campsite below us called Pacaymayu (3,600mts, 11,808ft). It’s amazing it is so close; yet so far. We have done well to get to the campsite a little ahead of time and we can ‘enjoy’ the relief of this intense day a little longer and to have more time in setting our tent in readiness for the night’s sleep. The porters even have our cup of tea ready for us. They are amazing! We are nestled in a valley type situation into the side of the mountain where we can look up to the high peaks in close proximity of where we started the declines. The distance seems beyond comprehension.

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The group is so relieved of today’s events and a true sense of achievement is on everyone’s faces. We all battled the banos (toilets) again and taking all that it presents in our stride. The porters look after us each afternoon and morning with hot water in bowls with disinfectant lotion for hand washing. We all have our own bowls too. With teeth brushing over we all resign to our tents. I’d bet we were all asleep within 15mins. It was a case to remember to recharge our devices prior to sleep in readiness for tomorrow’s opportunities. I have a battery bank charger plus a solar powered bank charger as there is no electricity along the entire trek. Others kept turning off their phones to extend their battery life and only power up for photos. Again, we had water rushing down the slopes that helped us transform into sleep.

Post comment on this blog: These blogs remind me of the complete devastation in ‘losing’ my GoPro on Day 4 so a lot of videos and photos are unavailable for my records and to share with everyone. More details on my Go Pro in my upcoming Day 4 Blog.

Blog – Day 3 coming soon. Stay tuned.

My Pre – Machu Picchu Trek Information

Disclaimer: the below is only from the information obtained and experienced from my trip to Peru and Cusco. Nothing is gospel .. especially in South America. Everyone should take their own notes, initiatives, intuition and closely understanding their health and physical limitations; and when all that is considered then go for whatever you believe you can achieve. Same for the goals you set in life.

Now that little paragraph of scared reality is done; I can assure you I saw many people of all ages, physical limitations, genders, etc all undertaking this trek and from all accounts ultimately completing the journey. This trek will test you in ALL areas, body, mind, commitment, attitude and one’s behaviours and the others that escape me at this time. The satisfaction of where you started; and from where you sit and reflect after 4 long days and 3 nights will be with you forever, let alone the people that journey with you. Life long memories and never a wall/ barrier in front of you; ever!

Have you now booked this trek? Well, if you have or going too; make sure you keep asking every question you have; firstly, with their administration people, then your trek guide at the trek briefing. What is included, excluded, what is asked of me, what is the tipping formulae or expectation, what is the best carry weight of my backpack, sleeping bags, mats, tent sizes, length of each day’s journey, etc, etc. I wish to confirm South America was built on less detail ..  you can trust me on that! I had my trek briefing a week prior which is unusual however, again, very little detail provided. Usually the trek briefings are done the night prior which really gives you no time to rectify anything so it’s critical to provide everything through their email connection leading up to your briefing.

There are companies that do Day 1 & part of Day 2 in the first day, so that’s about 18klms and all climbing to 4,200mtrs and really full on; so, make sure you don’t find yourself on the Navy Seals try out team for this trek. After doing my first 2 long days there is no way I would consider that as humane.

Obviously, the first thing is to get your fitness levels right or to the best you can. Some people could take a few months to get their fitness and strength to a decent level. Remember, it all helps and being on the trek to get your fitness then is a bit late. One of the best conditioners, I believe, is to climb the stairs of a high-rise as part of your training. Once you do this, then put your 6kgs backpack on. This would give you a good measure of your status including the monitoring of your breathing. High-Altitude Sickness can affect anyone, any fitness level, age or gender and must be taken seriously. Breathing through your mouth and directly via the nose to fill your lungs is a learning routine in itself. The better you can control your breathing pattern the better it will be to manage this on the trek. You can Google these breathing exercises too. I put a bit of effort into my training prior, but found at the trek I was a bit short on my preparation .. but I could manage my breathing which helped in the respite stops so I was able to continue more quickly. With your health & fitness sorted the trek will also give you the base now to continue your fitness into your new life. Keep and maintain your new found fitness.

The Government controls this trek so you must book well ahead remembering the control and conditions are getter tighter and stricter due to its increased popularity. Book your itinerary prior to the trek to give you at least 5-7 days acclimatisation. This is usually done in historical Cusco (where the treks depart) and Ollantaytambo. Both places provide numerous day journeys and things to do in town. Also, there is another option now with direct flights from Santiago Chile (major St American entry point) to Cusco rather than doing the leg to Lima Peru. If you want a real test and to see your maximum test results prior to the Machu Picchu trek there is a Rainbow Mountain day trek available where you climb to 5,031mtrs. A trek not to be missed and a world treasured sight but note, it is challenging. You can read more in one of my previous blogs.

Our trek was done in early April 2019 in reasonable weather although at this altitude the weather can change in a blink. We were very lucky. To do the downhill treks would be very challenging and risky if it is raining so make sure you have the best of hiking boots and hiking socks available and have them worn in prior to trekking. You should be able to put one or two fingers behind your heel when fitted to ensure you have freedom within the boot. The boots my son & I chose for our treks were Salomon X Ultra 3 GTX Mid Hiking Boots. These boots were brilliant to say the least. Best boots ever!!! Never let us down; waterproof, comfortable and the grip was superb and the sole tread technology doesn’t hold mud either. Boots are in the high-end range but please do not skimp on your footwear. I found a website online that saved almost 50% from retail pricing. With no income I had to find savings wherever I could. I did feel guilty after being fitted in store but I was desperate for savings. One critical point: You OWN EVERY step. To ensure your feet are protected, make sure you keep your toenails short. With the downhill stages your toes hit the front of your boot. Toenails can be ripped off. Ouch!!

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Trek organisers recommend the following items to bring with you. You can always bring more .. but less is more sometimes when you start analysing the weight involved. Of course, females may have to bring more personal items than listed below so that will need to be considered. What we found too late was we didn’t need the amount of clothing recommended (due to the fine weather we had). Some of the gear below we purchased in Cusco to avoid air fare baggage charges.

First thing; pack your original passport!! You will need this at the checkpoint on the trek. If you forget this you will be fined sometimes up to $100USD or you could be sent back many hours to recover it. Your tickets MUST also match your passport exactly

Cash – Peruvian Soles for snacks, bottled water, etc & the trek support group (3 sets of tips – Porters, Chef & Guides). For Porters; tips are compiled and divided equally to them. Suggested 100-150 Soles/ trekker. Chef, 100 Soles/ trekker. Guide Group 100 Soles/ Trekker. In other words, 300 -350 Soles in total per trekker is usually the norm.

Sleeping Bag (we hired ours through the company $25USD each, includes a mat)

Day Backpack (Ours was Black Wolf from Combo 65L Grand Teton set)

Water Bottle &/ or water bladder in your backpack. We had 2L Black Wolf Bladders

Water Purification Tablets (not necessary as our water was boiled by porters)

Poncho or raincoat

Sunscreen Lotion

Sunglasses

Warm/ waterproof Jacket (worn most of the time)

Hiking Boots – as above

Warm Beanie

Flashlight + Head Light with batteries

Long trek trousers (zip off short type preferable)

T-shirts (we only used 2, due to good weather)

Shorts/ sandals/ flip flops (Feet need relief after hiking)

Underwear/ Thermals/ Socks (Hiking type)

Sleepwear, but we used thermals for warmth & comfort

Blow up air cushion (pillow)

Trekking towel (microfibre, small & light pack)

Pocket Knife

Camera/ Go Pro

Strong Insect Repellent (High DET rating). Mosquitoes below 4200mtrs

Snacks (Energy Bars, chocolates, lozenges, etc)

First Aid Kit/ Medications

Personals (deodorant, toothpaste & brush, muscle relief lotion, etc)

Magnesium Tablets (helped us to recover better)

Walking Poles (we bought collapsible ones but couldn’t afford the best ones – Black Diamond). Uphill adjust to hip height. For downhill extend them about 150mm further to ease the step distance down.

Sun Hat

Winter Gloves

Batteries or Solar Charger (no electricity on the trek)

Ipod (music) – although only 1 person had this. Not good for concentration or hearing advice.

Ear plugs (in case someone in next tent snores or porters make noises cleaning up)

We were caught out at the trek start when we were then told we had to carry our sleeping bag and mat with us. We did not pre-order porters to carry our gear and were not advised of this added 3kgs to carry. Our backpacks could not attach the mats so a porter offered a cheaper rate to carry these. We agreed to carry our sleeping bags for the first ‘easy day’ & the porter to carry these from then on at a special rate agreed.

As you can see the weight can add up quickly so a trial or two of packing should be undertaken. Something you will have to get over are the Banos (toilets). Not fancy and a bit smelly too. Also, on night 3 you can go for a shower but only cold water is available. Hence, no one in our group showered. Surprisingly, we all got on together and no one had to be down wind.

Upon reaching Machu Picchu site (breathtaking; with your first glimpse from Sun Gate lookout) you wind yourself down to the site then go to the main entrance where you can line up to the toilet plus place your bag into their storage facility for 5,000 Soles remembering to lock your bag and take off your GoPro .. I ‘lost’ mine as it was still on my backpack. 4 days of recording GONE!!!! Still filthy!!! With your bag in storage you can return and stroll through the entire site but keep an eye on your time to return.

You can do another 2 hour mountain trek when you reach the Machu Picchu site however, this is quite strenuous. We chose not to do it due to timing, plus weariness. We were told the views were outstanding. The trek should also include a free bus from the Machu Picchu office to a nearby town, Aguas Calientes, where you can have a late lunch and then catch the train to Ollyantaytambo. Our trek train was booked for 6pm whereas others were booked for 2pm which was far better a time to get back to Cusco. We arrived at Cusco via bus (2hrs) after the train trip at 10.30pm with a desire for sleep.

On the trek take care doing selfies … we suspect a man was doing this in his late 30s who fell some 30m down and was lucky to be rescued and with no broken bones. A close call. His camera totally shattered on the way down onto rocks. We arrived some 5 minutes after.

I trust the above information was helpful. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

A Life Trek

Finding Machu Picchu – Peru – Day 1                                                                 8^th April 2019

I first booked this trek last April 2018 while in backpacking in Cambodia on a strong recommendation of instant ‘friends’ I met in Brisbane Australia in February 2018 of To Travel Too travel website (Jane & Duncan). At that point I had no idea what I was in for. Firstly, my eldest son Scott, had this trek as a #1 must do in his life so without hesitation I made this for him also. He is so connected with the universe and with ancient civilisations so how can I not bring him along. Can you ever think of a better way to share a #1 Life Trek?

Through booking & paying well in advance to Inca Trail Reservations I built my South American journey around the trek along with using the advice of bloggers & Jane & Duncan’s recommendations. Please check out their unbelievable website.

Day 1 of the trek was booked for 8^th April 2019 so with the unknown level of risk to us in regards to High Altitude Sickness it was recommended for at least 4 -7 days prior to acclimatise to this. High Altitude Sickness can affect anyone, any age & any fitness level. With all the variances of my son’s work commitments, Easter break, etc I organised the departure date of leaving Brisbane on 28^th March 2019.

On checking my favourite site Skyscanner for best flights I agreed to the best & cheapest option (I stopped working March 2018, so no income at all since) of a stopover in Auckland NZ & then the 11hr direct flight to Santiago Chile (main Sth American entry point) with a stopover prior to landing in Lima Peru. With the International Dateline situation; we left Brisbane 28^th March & arrived in Lima 28^th March. A 22.5hrs journey of some 5,000klms plus with variances of sleep, 3 or 4 movies, etc. There are more details on this journey in one of my previous blogs.

With our lead-time acclimatisation completed (please refer to my previous blogs) it was a somewhat excited sleepless night with my brain reiterating if all required items and must do’s have been allowed for and completed. We are leaving our larger backpacks within our hotel until our return. We are taking the essentials we were advised upon in our daypacks but trying to keep it below, say 6 kilograms at the most. With my backpack I think I got closer to 7 kilos. Ouch!!! For some reason (camera, etc mostly), my pack was much heavier than Scott’s. Our trek briefing the week prior went for only 10mins and this added to the anxiety of course and continual rethinks of packing, etc.

Finally, the morning had come & we were picked up from our hotel at 5.15am for the van trip to Piscacucho (2,729mts – 8,953ft) at Gate KM82 (82klms from Cusco) via our beloved Ollantaytambo. Thank God we stopped at Olly, as our dinner last night had to be paid in cash which robbed me of precious cash Peruvian Soles (sollees) for incidentals, porters, etc. Luckily, I knew where the atm’s were. Funny, I was not the only one with cash issues.

The company van pulled up right in front of Gate KM82 in a flat area where we were given a quick rundown of the immediate requirements by our Guide, Ronny. Next to our area, our porters were quickly organising their packs of food, tents, tables/ chairs for our journey. They are now monitored to a limit not exceeding 25klgs (including their personal items). OMG!!! That’s heavy & the packs looked so bulky they must weigh even more. We have 9 porters & 1 chef & 3 guides for our group of 11 trekkers. Believe it or not, there are some companies that have female porters however, ours were all males. Our eldest one was 61yrs old so that is a monumental achievement.

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I had pre-paid the hire of our sleeping bags as advised, but now Ronny informs me we must now carry our sleeping bags plus the rubber support mats with our backpacks. We were struggling to even secure our sleeping bags (re-rolled them tighter to fit the strap lengths on our backpacks). Another 2kgs too!! One of the Porters offered to take our mats for 50 Soles so I offered him through Ronny 100 Soles to be fair and both Scott & I will carry our sleeping bags for the first day only while the trek is a little lighter in terrain, so I’m told. This shows to seek all the details and ask questions prior at the company orientation first until they answer them correctly. This added burden was a huge addition for our carrying weight.

There was no time for introductions as this will come later, probably at our first camp. We must organise ourselves, take a group photo & start trekking to match the day timeframes and 12klms kilometres travel to our camp at Wayllabamba (3,000mtrs-9,842ft).

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After the photo our first obstacle was the suspension bridge (some 45mtrs long) over the rapidly flowing Urubamba River. Unbeknown this would be the most enjoyable ‘ride’ we will get for the next 4 days.

Now that we had been in the van for about 1.5hrs and starting to walk across the level suspension bridge some of us could feel the thin air and our breathing became harder. This was the usual shock factor so with proper management for the next 15mins the breathing somewhat normalised. At least until we came to our first decent incline. Out of the group a mature woman, Sue, still much younger than me suffered the same High-Altitude pressures as I, however she was doing longer incline stanzas than me. David, her husband was about a year younger than me and a seasoned trekker, so he was with Sue with the motivational support. The next 4 days he instilled in both of us “One step more is one step closer”. From our briefing the week prior they informed us to wear our thermal underwear due to the coldness and the chances of the weather changing quite often. I soon found out I was intensely hot from the direct sun and thermals made it harder to negotiate the steps involved. Only one other person had thermals on however he had shorts on whereas I had trek long pants. When it came to the end of the day I could not wait to get these thermals off! It was so hot!

The first stop was a bit longer than usual, with Ronny making the conversation of introductions. William was a support guide from another company and another silent guide (no English .. but nodded a lot). Our group consisted of 4 (2 sets of couples) based in Utah (Windi/ Eric, Kirsten/ Lynn (husband), 2 English (David & Sue), Eliza & Bryce from Melbourne Australia, Astrid from Norway (late to book this trek) and Scott & I from the Gold Coast, Australia. 11 in all & 5 of the group seasoned trekkers (The Utah group + David). From the introductions Ronny showed us the tiny parasites growing on the cactus adjacent (mentioned previously in my blogs) where he squashed them in his palm to form a red dye (for clothing, etc). Here, he painted an Inca sign on each of our face cheeks to symbolise our new journey. Mine had the sacred 3 Inca steps signalling the 3 classes of animals and agriculture. Snake the low areas, Puma, the middle areas & The Condor, the higher areas.

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With the next surge forward our guide, Ronny, repeatedly stated we have enough time so make an easy pace. I soon found that Sue & I were always the last to re-join the group at each stop. The problem with this was we had the least amount of respite as the group proceeded on within minutes of our arrival.

The inclines were now getting more intense as we slowly made the progress required to our first camp Wayllabamba. So many respite stops … and this was the so called easy part! My thermals were still giving me grief. So hot! Our porters had already passed our group early into the trek. They passed us at speed to ensure they reached the campsite prior to set up the tents, prepare the kitchen and have Happy Hour in play upon our arrival. We were amazed at the ease in which our porters seemed to climb the inclines. It was beyond belief and some had sandals on, hush puppy footwear .. no hiking boots to see at all.

Our first site was the terraced fields of Llaqtapata 2650mtrs – 8,692ft (5 klms; 2hrs from KM82 start). An amazing spectacle; and to see it from such a height overall. An enormous agricultural site and quite worthy of a substantial time to soak this treasured sight in. Finally, it came to getting the backpack on again .. I think it had gained weight while sitting idle. The trail continues upon klms of rocky passes and steps .. the labour involved in laying these rocks and using the natural rocks into pathways is astounding to say the least. It was comforting when you see a rock wall or ledge for leaning back on or even sitting. Such a relief! We used this excuse especially when other porters from other companies come up from behind. The rule was to stay left towards the mountain and ALWAYS let porters pass without hassle and/ or obstruction as a matter of respect also. Our group was very good at respecting this rule however, we noticed some trekkers were not so we made a point of calling out loud “Porters coming”!

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Scott eventually went ahead with the others and left me with Sue, David and the never-ending sheer inclines of rugged steps winding through passes around mountainous slopes. Are you getting the picture now? Lungs working hard and with legs seemingly getting no strength we inch our way “upstairs” to another respite stop, rest a minute or two then heave again. “One step more is one step closer”.

With each programmed respite stop we were informed slightly by Ronny of what laid ahead and how much further in time was involved which mostly gave us the ‘happy ending’ was getting closer to fruition. At each point of rest I looked at Scott and said “at least you could be puffing .. or sweating!” Looks as cool as a cucumber my Scott. After climbing for 4.5hrs/ 12klms to a height of 3,000mtrs we reached our FIRST campsite at Wayllabamba. Believe it or not, we still made good time apparently. The campsite looked so inviting with our coloured tents all in a row and 2 larger tents adjacent. The porters were in full swing, even with a hot cuppa ready for us, washing bowls at the front of each tent plus sleeping bags & mats placed within each tent ready for us to set up and get ready for Happy Hour in 10mins. Scott & I quickly removed our backpacks and laid out our mats and stretched out .. I think we could have napped also within that 10mins. The air was quite chilled and it was not smart to now remove my thermals. I think it was too cold to smell also.

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Happy Hour entailed, hot popcorn and hot tea. Dinner was not long after where we all couldn’t believe the meals made for us. Scott & I were the only vegetarians so the food was different to the others. Such quality food and presented well by the chef. With dinner over it was the consensus, as every proceeding night, it was straight to bed. Too tired to party on! We had our night torches on for the toilets (Banos) some walks away and for teeth brushing when back at the tents .. no street lights out here! The toilets .. well, they’re different .. very basic and some were porcelain foot pads with a hole into the ground below. Some standard toilet bowls were unpleasant and wishing even for the hole in the ground types at times. Whew!!! Some smells were unbelievable but we all survived … somehow.

Despite the rubber mats under our sleeping bags, sleeping was rather difficult with the mats needing to be thicker plus the sleeping bag zippers were broken and this contributed to being very cold through the night. Both, Scott & I slept in our thermal underwear as the best method to stay warm. No choice otherwise, plus there were no showers until night 3 (cold showers anyway). David & Sue were experiencing some muscle soreness before bed, so I offered them some Magnesium supplement tablets I had, as Day 1 was quite strenuous on the joints and muscles. They thanked me even more the next morning and again later. David had knee support sport braces for his knees. His main worry was the descending coming up on Day 2 & Day 4.

Our sleep was very limited; and it seemed only a few hours long when we could hear the porters waking the trekkers with the wakeup cup of tea and “buenos dias” .. “Good Morning”. We now knew we had just 10mins to repack, get dressed and be ready for the sit-down breakfast in the big tent. Toilet was first; if you were fast.

With our 30 seconds of stretching and saying hello to our muscles we strolled to the big tent for breakfast on Day 2 (Hell Day). It was quite filling and surprising. Obviously, we need the strength to keep the momentum going. I personally found later that eating a big breakfast didn’t worked particularly well for me. Other trekkers soon agreed as we proceeded towards lunch with heavy stomachs. Stay tuned for my next Blog on Hell Day!

Major Pre – Machu Picchu Trek Test                                                                                        3^rd April 2019

Rainbow Mountain

Within days of booking the Machu Picchu trek in April 2018 my eldest son, Scott, contacted me in Cambodia and strongly suggested we do The Rainbow Mountain trek considering its world-renowned photographic nature. On checking the availability and location to Cusco it seemed a no-brainer, hence I booked it at $112AUD! Nothing else came to mind other than for in 12months we were doing it.

Being a one day outing our trip calendar gave the best days in early April with our Machu Picchu trek due on the 8^th April 2019. Seems OK; I guess? In understanding slightly, the unknown level of risk to us in regards to High Altitude Sickness it was recommended for at least 4 -7 days prior to acclimatise to this Machu Picchu trek altitude. High Altitude Sickness can affect anyone, any age & any fitness level and can be quite serious; if not fatal.

Jumping forward now to the days we actually arrived in Cusco; April 2019 we became acutely aware of the height of the Rainbow Mountain Trek; a whopping 5,031mts .. 16,506ft thank you very much!!!! That’s so much higher than the Machu Picchu Trek set at 4,200mtrs; 13,776ft! Our trek briefing for Machu Picchu was set for 1^st April, albeit it went for 10m minutes however, the guide said it will be good for us to do the Rainbow Mountain trek prior as a good test and show the results of such to us in time for the Machu Picchu Trek. With this reassurance, all was ‘a go’!!!

The Rainbow Trek was booked through Trip Advisor/ Viator. The afternoon prior I contacted the tour organisers to reaffirm our pick up time at our hotel. Originally, 4am. Finally, I received a phone call through the hotel reception at 9pm. We were already in bed, so I had to get dressed and take the call in Reception (3 floor stairs down).  The guide stated there is a bridge labour strike set for the morning shift so would I consider postponing? Our calendar being full there was no alternative. After much bargaining the trip was going ahead however, the guide insisted on a 3am pickup to slip past the 7am work strike. With agreement, I walked back up the stairs to search for the agent of sleep. Alarm set for 2.30am, ultra-fast awakeness.

As the universe usually works, I was awake at 1.10am precisely. Thanks to my brain not switching off!! To be fair I woke Scott at 2.15am and at a good pace we tip toed down the noisy stairs to Reception at 2.55am. Of course, the guide arrived at 3.50am! Arrgghh!!!! We walked to the bus to find the bus 75% full so with another 8 or so people to pick up we had a full bus. Seems like the people didn’t postpone either. Cynical; I know but when we reached the bridge construction site at 7am the workers were actually working.

The route is quite winding and 138klms; 3.5 hrs long to Rainbow Mountain SE of Cusco. The area received some rain last night and this made it quite nerve racking in places. The bus almost bogged once and at times the back wheels slid toward the cliff edge trying to get the grip. The driver was excellent though. Very competent for such a narrow and very winding mountain ‘road’. The road can virtually change overnight with some areas prone to landslides.

We stopped for breakfast at a tiny village and awkward side road. We had 20mins to be ready again which was quite easy considering we had a strange liquid ‘porridge’ in a cup … not sure what it was but it was OK; some tea and some bread with margarine. Yes; that was breakfast and included in the tour cost! With our full stomach … sarcasm … we only had 30mins more of bus travel to reach the mountain site. The road was worse from here.

Climbing out of the bus with our smaller backpacks we immediately noticed the very brisk air and heavier breathing. We later found out that whenever you climb out of a bus/ van and at an altitude it takes some 15minutes to re-acclimatise again. The guide pointed to the horses and mules if anyone needed that assistance for $9USD. They were in high use however; the handlers would only take their animals to about 75% of the way which is probably around 4200mtrs at best.

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As usual, the first 15mins is literally breathtaking … very steep stairs and rock steps to the only landing with some stalls of souvenirs, food, drinks, etc adjacent. Lungs and heart working overtime before they both become accustom to the rigors required (short term body shock). Of course, Scott has momentum and then realises Dad is semi-struggling. A photo opportunity provides a couple of minutes respite and then it was small & slow steps to the incline ahead. A brief lookup you can see the enormous mountain scape ahead with snow/ ice caps & with a bit of focus you can see ‘ants’ walking along its ridge (people wearing bright coloured hiking gear). OMG!!! All the way up there!!! … remembering the Guide stated 1.5hrs up and 1 hour back. Yikes!!!!

With each step, you’re trying to keep your posture; spine straight to allow your lungs and body muscles to work like a tuned engine. The problem being, your head needs to look down to ensure every footing is precise … remember: you own every step .. even in the city too. Inclines require slow small steps otherwise you are doing the gym lunges and this will quickly stress you.

I’m not kidding: the incline is quite strong .. no relief areas .. just keep going … you can make it .. your mind starts talking to you .. don’t be afraid to take respite often .. your body needs it. In these brief respite periods, you notice the porters (horse/ mule handlers) running back to get another payload of trekkers … yes … running downhill. They are male/ female/ young and old and after maximum revenue. Some trekkers are catching them downhill and now paying the full price after walking 50% of the trek to get the relief.

Now at some point the air is even more thin, the mountain is still inclining and Scott is doing it easy .. I’m not that unfit but the high altitude takes a good strain on anyone. I’m not in distress as I’m managing my relief periods often. My breathing is heavy, my heart still pounding but I’m still edging upwards. Scott, now talks about the book he has almost finished. I listen, as I cannot speak; ensuring maximum oxygen intake is achieved. The book is an autobiography of one of the most decorated and most admired US Navy Seals, Mr David Goggins “You Can’t Hurt Me”.  As I’m writing this blog, I am reading this extraordinary achievement book and highly recommend everyone over 18 to read this. A truly amazing individual. Scott informs me on the trek that Mr Goggins believes most, if not everyone only uses 40% of their capacity/ capabilities through life. A massive shortfall to many lives. Scott refuses to accept any comments regarding my age and with this in mind I take a few more stanzas in walking.

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At approx. 80% done; another stop; to look at the enormous landscape before me. Just breathtaking … pardon the pun. At this point I divert my thoughts somewhat to the list of items the company insisted we bring especially when the weather can turn in an instant. Every item is a weight to carry and I’m thinking my small backpack is around the 7kgs mark and appears far heavier than other trekkers. I’m also carrying 2kgs of water in our backpack bladders. Some people are carrying nothing and simply walking. One thing the company omitted was walking poles … now they would have been handy. Not on the list so we left our brand new ones in the hotel.

Not much more to go is the mindset (talking to myself more often now as a clear motivation). We are now into a steeper incline and notice there are timber poles approx. 80mm dia stuck into the ground and a loose rope barrier in place. I can’t see any purpose for this as it is not feasible to pull yourself up on it and it doesn’t serve much of a barrier to prevent falling, etc. Onwards and upwards regardless … small steps and a bit more heavy breathing and notice my strong heartbeats. Seems like everything is working like a good diesel motor.

Scott turns and says “almost there”. Why isn’t he puffing?  There!!.. my last push to the rocky earth platform full of trekkers where I seek out a clear space for me to gasp for a decent breathe and to start calming my body down. The clouds were coming in and going out just as fast and in between the cycles I could see the famous 7 colours of the Rainbow Mountain. What a view but the light is not giving off the strong colours. Now the clouds come in and I see a lonely rock asking for me to sit down for a while and with pleasure I sat. From sitting down, Scott noticed another ridge to the left with trekkers so I warmly said “off you go and stay safe”. With the trekkers all exclaiming the arghs and oos I remembered the 40% rule Scott said from David Goggins. I stood up to see where Scott went and noticed trekkers were coming down from the ridge in droves so I put my feet back onto climbing mode and ventured up onto the ridge which was really a 25m vertical elevation on a rounded hilltop, not a level surface anywhere. The ice caps started in small blobs and getting bigger. Now watch those .. extremely slippery and no substantial bond to the mountain surface. One slip and see you later .. for good. No barriers .. no nothing until you get to the round top and see a small pole with a sign “Montana Winikunka 5,031mtrs” in between the trekkers. At that moment I notice Scott was about to return to the platform below. With a yell from my puffing lungs he just hears me and turns around. He is so surprised to see me and yells out he is so cold with pain coming from his fingers in his half gloves (fingerless type). I then noticed with all the happenings around me I still have my full gloves in my backpack. How could I forget my gloves … I shiver when I open a fridge and here I am 5,031mtrs up with ice around me. Scott quickly finds blood in his fingers and retrieves my gloves for me followed by a couple of rushed photo shots, etc. I looked around and could only see clouds now encompassing us and vision of a very low few metres.

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With our last expected photo, the weather turned immediately sour. The announced temperature at the top was -5C but now with the wind chill factor thrown in we were now experiencing at least -10C easily. We were nearly blown off the rounded hilltop with 60knot winds buffeting us. Both Scott & I experienced 80knot winds in NZ at Sunday Mountain South Island where they built the Edoras castle in The Lord of the Rings so we know what wind strength we are now experiencing. Without much more thought we descended immediately, dodging the ice caps and other trekkers with ultimate safety in mind. The temperature plummeted to an insane coldness but found some good relief in the earth platform below behind the small rock wall. A few minutes later we were able to start our descent for good.

Somehow and it would be proven much later that for some reason I can descend without much energy used. I don’t have knee or cartilage issues either so that’s a real bonus. Apart from a view or photo opportunity both Scott & I descended without stopping. I could not help but notice the poor trekkers still in climbing mode as we descended and the stress shown on their faces… even when they were coming off the horses and mules. We were definitely not the last to the bus. Overall, we made very good time even though I would possibly be one of the last to the top.

Once in the bus Scott showed me his prized photo of the main Rainbow Mountain. It was a beauty. He had taken it when I was on my way to the very top before the clouds came in. Suffice to say I saw only clouds when I reached him. If I had the chance to look back over the top of the earth platform slightly below us in a Northerly direction (I think) I would have seen the real Rainbow Mountain .. not the sister one that I and the other trekkers were looking at. Oh! For a directional sign!!!

With everyone back onto the bus we proceeded down the same winding slushy road to the same place we had breakfast .. Oh what a joy!! Sarcasm again however, the late lunch meal was a huge improvement. The sad part of this story now is even Scott noticed the exclusion of us from the rest of the bus group. All the young ones stuck together, some with their own language group and we were shunned to the outer table yet again as for breakfast. Of course, I was having none of that and to Scott’s amazement I squeezed into the 2 seats of one table and had my lunch. Still no conversation on their part but I was able to get them to share the butter, jam, etc. “Don’t push the older people” Haha!!!

Finally, after quite a few hours we arrived back into Cusco albeit the tour dropped us off at a different square to our hotel. Scott & I used Google Maps but with the poor internet it kept malfunctioning so after say 2.5klms more trekking we managed to do our bag drop off at our hotel and head off to our favourite eating location “Jack’s Place”. Highly recommended although it is already extremely popular.

As a summary, I would highly recommend the Rainbow Mountain one-day tour on the premise firstly, being high altitude acclimatised and know your health & fitness levels. It sure is a trek and one you’ll remember for life!!! Our success on this trek now has us highly confident for the upcoming Machu Picchu Trek in a few days. What a test!!!!

Beyond Cusco Peru – Stage 2                                                                4^th April 2019

Before we did the exhaustive one-day trek to Rainbow Mountain I had to secure the journey to Ollantaytambo 2792m elevation for a few more relaxing days in another scenic location to assist in the high-altitude acclimatisation. This location was highly recommended to me by a travelling couple I met at an expo in Brisbane. The main choice most people make from Cusco is to get a Colectivos van direct where they operate like taxis all day & into early night back & forth between Cuzco. They leave primarily when they are full (about 8 people). Usually costs around $4-5US per person. Journey is 1hr50mins (80klms) but we took the 2hr 15mins (91klms) route which forms part of the Sacred Valley Tour. There was no rush to get to our destination and with the chance of seeing some secluded sights it was an added bargain. The Sacred Valley streams along the Andes Mountains and said to be linked all the way to Chile.

We walked our narrow street early in the morning to the waiting mid-sized bus; loaded our backpacks & found the best available seats with our cheerful guide. Winding your way out of Cusco is a task in itself and takes quite some time to negate .. very winding, steep & narrow streets with all types of housing and security gates/ fortresses & dogs scavenging the garbage along certain points of the roadway.

Our first stop was Chinchero at 3700m altitude with a population approx. 10,500. We ventured into an open area surrounded in most parts by terraced Inca walls that has stood the test of time. Immaculate in their presentation. From these terraced viewpoints you could see the direction of the Sacred Valley route meandering along the Andes Mountain range. Our guide showed us some aspects of the wall construction where rocks were in exact form to each other. Seems like they were cut with a laser beam to match each other’s shape. The accuracy is astounding … then they are usually angled back so there is a void to the next block & this void is filled with small aggregate stone & special clay forming a tight mortar backing. The face of the wall is also tilted back & not true vertical so an earthquake cannot dislodge the wall easily.

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From the open area our guide missed notifying us of the slightly dilapidated white building slightly larger than the others. It was painted white on render to stone work. Didn’t really look much but as we now were standing at the side main doors; we were advised of this 17^th Century contemporary Catholic based church built on top of the base of an Inca temple. We were not afforded the time to race back to the field and take the best angled photo showing this wonderful hidden treasure. It was mandatory that no photos or videos to be taken inside this church .. & they enforced this too!! Believe you me, the temptation was unbearable. Three distinct versions of Jesus Christ and ancient sculptures depicting historical events, gold leaf figurines, painted scenes on ceilings, alters and pictures that you could look at for hours. There was so much detail to see. Truly amazing. We were all shaking our heads in disbelief.

After the church we were ushered into something like the large backyard of a house. Some women dressed in Inca clothing and with large stalls of clothing, rugs, shawls, etc, etc for display & sale. I wished I could pack more of these in my backpack. The items were a lot cheaper than Cusco. One of the women started a demonstration with some bowls of water on the floor. She grated a root of a plant into the water, much like shredding a potato. She whisked it with her hand & it lathered up strongly. She placed the virgin wool of the alpaca into it & it instantly was bleached white. From there, she picked parasites from the leaf of a cactus (small black growths). Rubbing these on her palm it formed an instant bright red colour. This created a dye colour for the wool. Mixing this with other vegetation (limes, lemons, etc) other colours came distinctly glowing in brightness. Now we know how they get so many bright colours into their clothing. Truly amazing.

Our next stop was Moray (sounds Murr..aye). A very winding dirt road that leads you to an outpost that is an archaeological site approx. 50klms Nth West of Cusco at 3500m elevation & just outside the village of Maras. Here you find 3 main terraced amphitheatres approx. 30m deep surrounding the hilltop we’re standing on. To overlook these circular terraces is very inspirational of their uniqueness and construction abilities. Our guide informs us these are agricultural terraces where the Incas could grow an enormous range of foods where to normal people it was a folly to even consider growing food at this altitude and its harshness of climate.

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The ‘amphitheatres’ followed the surrounds of the hilltop for a specific reason. The first one was located facing directly toward the Andes Glacier mountains and at a specific depth to ‘absorb’ & deflect the harsh coldness and high winds from the mountains. This would grow the cold climate Winter crops. The 2^nd amphitheatre was somewhat sheltered now from the winds by the first one but still gets the sunshine so a warmer type crop would prevail. The 3^rd, being on the furthest side of the hill top would be even more protected thus warmer climate crops prevailed. Very ingenious. These Amphitheatres were called ‘testicle fields’ .. translation of course .. but were reflected as fertility fields as a form of their survival.

Down the same winding and dusty roadway, we stop for lunch at the next big city of Urubamba 2870m & population of 2,700. This city and its region, is the agricultural hub for Cusco & Peru. A very fertile valley. The turbulent river passing through it is renowned for rafting, etc.

With lunch over, we found ourselves winding up another steep hillside. The temperature you could feel becoming warmer. With one high hairpin corner, we are now looking over the Maras salt flats. What a unique symmetry canvas of all sizes of squares and rectangles over the landscape of large hillsides. These salt mines span 5 centuries of salt production. Located into the steep hillside & laid out in evaporative shallow ponds fed by wandering viaducts through a strong bubbling natural spring in the mountain side atop subterranean prehistoric salt lakes in the tectonic plates below. The flow is quite amazing. Water is channelled into small gravity fed viaducts wherever it is needed. Grass hessian in placed under stones of a certain matching size and this helps divert the water to another viaduct.

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The salt ponds are all similar in shape and usually cover 12 sq metres each and are about 300mm deep and once filled they are left to evaporate by the sun. Did I say it was warmer here? Well, it is becoming very hot on this side of the mountain. Remember the saying …. “I’ll send you to the salt mines”.  To me, a true punishment. There is no relief … as I watch 2 men in one dry pond. One thumping the base hard with a large timber plate (heavy) over his shoulder in a grid format not missing one inch of pond space. The other, scraping a thin layer of salt behind. The thumping is the method to extract the clay granules from the salt. There are hundreds of ponds to cultivate and the local families each have a consortium of ponds (leased) to work. I have no idea how they know which one is theirs. They truly work hard for their living. With very little moisture left in my body to sweat we saunter back up to the air conditioning of the bus. What relief!! So guilty to the workers below though.

Back down the dirt track again we venture further on to our destination, Ollantaytambo at 2,792m elevation and with a population of 10,200. We decided to end our tour at the main square of the village & let the other passengers continue to the old archaeological site at the western perimeter of the town (200m from the main square). The remaining passengers were on a full day tour & will return to Cusco about 8pm. A very long day for them.

With my booking made at Las Portadas hotel, both Scott & I were keen to collapse there. Looking around we saw plenty of crazy miniature tut tuts (motorcycle tri-wheels with carriages) that appeared too small for all our luggage plus ourselves. We were approached by the Mini-Mart store owner. He was so polite and could speak some English thankfully. He showed us the ‘taxi rank’ in front & said 5 soles should cover it. The taxi driver was a bit firm & said 10Soles ($3US) to which I didn’t find the need to argue. We bundled our bags in, closed the doors & headed around the square & then up the one-way cobblestone laneway (main street); first turn left & the left again down the one-way road we came in on & there was Las Portadas; some hundred metres from the square. A cute ride for 10 Soles.

We scored well on this hotel … room & reception was great. WiFi excellent and with brekky every morning … Yay!!! What a great few days to relax. We slept so well that first night under 3 heavy Inca woven blankets even though they short sheeted my bed (every night .. LOL). After brekky, we ventured to the main square, giving way to close traffic swerving to find the best undamaged part of the road. At the furthest end of the square there is a similar one-way laneway (main street) going down to another level which then splays out to the markets and then the entrance to the archaeological Inca site. Our tickets from yesterday are still valid (2 days) so entry a breeze. This site was the royal estate of the Emperor Pachacutionce; an Inca fortress and this was reaffirmed when you see the size of the walls & terraces up this mountain. Everything in this site is huge! The staircases, stones, walls, terraces … no shortcuts.

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We took plenty of photos and watched where we were allowed to walk venturing further & further in height. Such a view of the village and surrounding area. With walking up each staircase getting higher Scott noticed a door opening (no door or sign) at the rear of the fortress site to an open hillside with a very small track. Of course, onwards & upwards … a track that kept going higher. A little later we find similar trekkers coming back down … no information provided for what lies ahead so we kept going. Scott made a cute, small stone tower while I was sucking in the oxygen. Inclines appears to be not my thing. After a while we came across a viewing platform. WOW!! What a view! We could see the Inca train used to get to Machu Picchu following close to the cascading river, grazing land and farmhouses, a soccer field of course (numerous & everywhere), the village, mountains, valleys, the fortress site below. This track shows you the things you find once you venture past the normal boundary.

For a few days, we found our preferred eating places for the best vegetarian meals, pizzas & to die for juices. What a surprise to find such great food in a place that has you questioning it. The people were warm & friendly and one restaurant even gave me key ring gifts for my grandchildren. Each night before retiring we had a shot of a beloved sugar cane liquid, known as Anisado, at 20 soles a small bottle. It is an alcohol, a preventative medicine, etc so Cheers … yummo!!! A great aniseed taste and so smooth & warm. A wonderful purchase I believe to end each day. Would replace my scotch I think.

All of a sudden after our last night there we reluctantly secured a Colectivos for 15Soles each back to our beloved La Casa De Mayte hotel in Cusco. Thanks, Ollantaytambo for a great time albeit the road network is another story not to revisit.

My next blog could be the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu so stay tuned.

Beyond Cusco Peru – Stage 1                                                                3^rd April 2019

Walking around the historical district of Cusco is very quirky and plenty of satisfying visions, albeit in between carriageways just big enough for a small car on cobblestones.  Like any overseas street; you own every footstep.

There are women in customary costumes; some holding baby alpacas and the women swarm when a photo is required .. hold onto your cash … and so many young women presenting cards for massages. You pass so many in full view of each other saying no; yet they persist.

We have a laneway we ventured down often from Jack’s Café (very popular & great food/ juices) to the Main Square and each time we gaze upon an Inca wall that continues to amaze us with its accuracy and architectural/ geotechnical features. OMG!!! How do they do this & the wall survives the earthquakes over the years? There is one famous stone that has 12 angles along its perimeter .. and not small either (Thank you David & Sue for the photo & smiling).

We have a few bookings we must complete before we venture to the Machu Picchu trek on 8^th April 2019. One of these is a real fitness & altitude sickness test. The famous Rainbow Mountain; a 1 day tour with some 2.5hrs 138klms of bus travel each way South West of Cusco. I contacted the tour company late afternoon prior to confirm the pickup time. Apparently, their response was a bridge construction site was to be on strike early morning. They tried everything to postpone our tour but I could not accommodate this. They then responded at 9.30pm by saying they will pick us up at our hotel at 3am. Straight to bed we went. Of course, they were very late (40mins) & considering with all the ‘stress’ I was awake at 1.10am … I can now expect a very BIG day!!

Our bus was filled with 18 or so people so they didn’t postpone either and we later found work was proceeding as normal on the bridge. There was some obvious rainfall the night prior which made the bus almost bogged & sliding sideways towards the cliff edge in parts. Sometimes we had to stop to allow other vehicles to slither past us. Yikes!!! Almost half way we had a break to the weirdest breakfast. Bread with margarine & tea. Luckily we packed a few snacks from Cusco.

After some 20mins we were on the last winding leg of the road trip … shut your eyes!!! Upon arrival you are herded out for a quick harness of your backpack & given a time limit of 1.5 hrs to venture up & return. You first notice the horses for rent (9 Soles .. Soleless … $3US each) that will take you 2/3rds of the way up. A lot of people use them .. even when they are half way up on foot.

The first staircase & landing immediately gets you pumping. High altitude & oxygen deprivation kicks in. We notice this every time we exit a vehicle after a long time in it. This first staircase really hits you. My super fit son Scott provides the motivation & refuses to acknowledge my age. Youth!!! The tour company highly recommends anyone over 55yrs to rent a horse. I’m far beyond that so I shrugged off that advice. Oxygen less to the brain, I think. Also, the tour operator did not specify walking poles .. others had them … we left ours behind .. they would have provided great assistance.

With every painful step I could see with clear weather the tip of the peak we must reach & it seemed klms away. Trekkers looked like ants along its ridge. After numerous pauses, clutching for air I took another 20 steps knowing I was inching closer. Every now & then you see a flat spot .. albeit maybe 3 metres at most which means 5 seconds only of respite.

Step by step my resolve was duly tested … the temperature cooling around me .. my lungs seem to be getting warmer & drier … Scott stayed with me & pushed forward the encouragement. He had just about completed a book he was reading called ‘Can’t Hurt Me’ by David Goggins (A decorated US Navy Seal for starters). David Goggins rates most of us only use 40% of our capabilities as a rule. With Scott reiterating the 40% rule every now & then & what seemed ages I managed to get to a platform ‘at the top’ with lots of people sitting on rocks or standing still talking. While getting my breath there, Scott said there was another section to do as he could see people walking up & down a small ridge about 25m higher & steep, so I said don’t worry about me keep going.

In between the clouds drifting in & out I could see parts of the Rainbow Mountain in its expected 7 colours. Lots of people were happy with that and maintained their positions. Mind you there was very little space available & again, no handrails or barricades … just a gentle slope to oblivion if one was to slip or slide off.

With my breath partly back, I reminded my self of the 40% rule and staggered to the step up to the next ridge in search of Scott, dodging people that were returning. This part was quite scary as I now encountered large sheets of ice packs that must be avoided at all costs. Slowly & very carefully I managed to step to the absolute peak of the mountain at 5,031m. With lungs & heart pounding & screaming for oxygen I regathered just in time to yell out to Scott before he took his first step to return below. He was shivering with cold, yet he managed to take my photo against the sign of the mountain. Once taken, I then realised I had forgotten to put my gloves on .. Scott, with icy fingers himself managed to get my gloves out of my backpack & helped put them on. How could I possibly go all this way & without my gloves? I felt my hands turning white & numb. Same for Scott.

Within that second of getting the gloves on we both decided to get our return trip underway. In that tiny second later we were encapsulated into a complete cloud cover with very little vision and almost immediately we were hit sideways with 60knot wind gusts. With no choice but to tread towards the voices and looking at the ground beneath our feet we avoided the ice caps and reached that platform ledge I spoke of earlier. With our minds now focussed on our return we confidently stepped into a rhythm and for some reason we only stopped twice to the bus to take photos. It was a lot easier than the incline. We took notice of the distorted stressed faces of the trekkers still finding their way up the mountain and those keeping their composure on horseback.

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Our Guide confirmed we did the trek in 1 hr 40mins & we were not the last ones back. Once settled, Scott showed me one of his photos. It was the famous shot of the REAL Rainbow Mountain that you could see once you reach the very top of the mountain and look back over the way you came (over the people on the platform just below). Most people were looking, say West when they should be looking North, I think. I missed this due to that fierce cloud cover that came in when I met Scott. It was opportune for Scott to have a stranger take his photo minutes before I reached the top. I’m very glad Scott got to see the real mountain & get his photo however, most people & I believed to be cheated of this due to the cloud cover. I guess, that is the climate there and is very frequently covered in cloud … so it is a real lottery of course.

Suffice to say, it was an amazing experience and a trek worthy of all the accolades and a must do. An amazing sense of achievement was my satisfaction .. such an arduous journey up that sheer height. Both Scott & I were extremely pleased how our Salomon X Ultra 3 Coretex Mid Hiking boots went. These are making us very confident for the upcoming Machu Picchu trek over 4 days & 3 nights.

The bus trip back to Cusco was a sleepy one & an occasional talk of “did we just do that?”.  Shower, dinner & a very early night of course and a dream of disbelief to the day.

Our Base at Cusco

Leaving Lima Peru and with a last request for our hotel El Reducto; of printing out our electronic Boarding Passes sent to us the night before proved too much of a problem to accommodate. It is that frustration we head off the airport using our Beat app (taxi). We scored a great driver, Donato, who dropped us off at the right point for s28 (soles = Solees) .. $11AUD for 35mins drive.

That printing frustration caused far more pain as the airline only operates off printed boarding passes and for them to provide 2 small sheets of paper & 40 seconds of their time cost me $32US .. $44.60AUD. OUCH & utterly ripped off!!! I provided the required feedback when I completed the flight through their app. No response as yet & none expected; I guess.

Cusco sometimes spelt Cuzco; was the capital of the Inca Empire (13th century–1532). Elevation: 3,400m (11,152 ft) and founded in 1100AD. In 1983 Cusco was named a World Heritage Site and in 2017, the city had a population of 428,450. The city was built on a previous existing lake which is quite amazing considering the stone structures. The main tourist attraction here is the start for the Machu Picchu trek through to Ollantaytambo Village.

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Flying into Cusco (1.5hrs flight) there are some amazing banking manoeuvrers by this big plane to search for the valley of Cusco between huge mountains forming the Eastern bank of the Andes Mountains. You get a good vision of Cusco when the wing starts to point downwards. After the plane thrill and landing safely it was rather comforting to see our guide holding our name card amongst all the jeering taxi operators. We quickly bundled into the small car and went through all the varying sections of the city. We did become rather nervous when we could see a small laneway just big enough for our car & then it stopped midway immediately out the front of our hotel La Casa de Mayte.

With the feeling of hitting the doors of the building & the opposite wall we stopped the one-way traffic until we had all our bags within the hotel (footpath about 450mm wide). Once the doors opened; we immediately saw a quaint/ quirky and very cosy atmosphere and a warm reception finally. Our room comprised of a double bed and a king single with ensuite and a great view of the houses built onto the highlands (I mean mountains .. yikes!!).

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As nightfall was some hours away; we carefully stepped out the hotel doors to the opposite footpath (600mm wide in places) avoiding the single lane traffic. We noticed that Peruvians do not give way when walking … much like their driving. The road was cobblestone like most of Cusco roads but the traffic volume down this laneway was astounding. We saw one street that was one-way and extremely steep much the same size as our street. It just didn’t look right 😊 & must be heavy on the brakes.

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Our hotel was a great location within the Central Historical District (Main Square) and it was buzzing with all kinds of activity. Buskers, women in native dress with an alpaca or two, vendors of all sorts, fashion and hiking shops, cafes, museum and historical churches, 15+ young ladies hounding to give you cheap massages just to name a few. While missing lunch we ventured into an early dinner so my first commitment was to find Paddy’s Irish Pub which was luckily at the main corner of the square. It is the highest official authentic Irish Pub in the world at 11,156ft and I promised the wife of a close workmate I’ve known for 30+ years and tragically lost him in 2017 that I would toast a beer there for him. Of course, Michael was Irish and a superb human being and 2017 was the year he and his wife planned to be at Cusco for the Machu Picchu Trek.

We had a superb night’s sleep, hot shower and a beautiful brekky in the hotel to hit the streets shopping for the main trek equipment we could not pack from Australia. A warm waterproof jacket, walking poles, beanie & gloves for starters. Apart from the poles we gained a few bargains taking note of the falling Australian dollar rate.

We have a few days at Cusco to help with the high-altitude acclimatisation aspects so we called it our base.  We also ventured to Ollantaytambo Village for a few days too. We knocked over our Machu Picchu Pre-Trek meeting quickly so we could now focus on another massive one-day trek to Rainbow Mountain (5,031m high) in another day or so. More on that in another blog along with Ollantaytambo.